


Almost Lost You (Illinois/Reader)

by LoveIsLattes



Category: Who Killed Markiplier? (Web Series), markiplier - Fandom, youtube - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Illinois Markiplier, Love Confessions, Near Death Experience
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:21:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24638260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveIsLattes/pseuds/LoveIsLattes
Summary: Prompts:Illinois being lackadaisical with your safety as a hired hand until there's a scare in a tomb with a trap and then he dotes on the reader as they recover (or they don't even get hurt but he panics) can lead to smutty smut or not - FoxAndI'm honestly dying for some fluffy Illinois smut, so maybe that please? Or if you're not comfy with that just ignore this! No pressure okay! - Anon
Relationships: Illinois/reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 59





	Almost Lost You (Illinois/Reader)

_“Eh come on, it could be fun. We could have an adventure! Maybe fall in love.”_

Illinois had said it jokingly but damn it, he was right. Well, partially. You had fallen in love with him. Unfortunately, it seemed like he didn’t feel the same way. Sure he flirted and teased as always, but whenever you’d try to flirt back he’d go all awkward and quiet. Eventually, you stopped trying because you didn’t want to end up making him dislike you. Better an unrequited crush on your friend than ruining what you had. 

Even so, it didn’t make it any easier when he’d flirt shamelessly with other adventurers that you guys ran across; which was why you were now alone, wandering down the empty halls of an abandoned museum in search of the rumored ancient tome of secrets. It was easier to brave the spooky, dark building than to face your jealousy.

“Now if I were an ancient secret book, where would I be?” you muttered.

You let your hand drag along the dusty wall beside you as your eyes scoured the hallway for trap doors or stairways down. Supposedly the tome was in the lower levels of the museum but you couldn’t be certain. Best to exhaust all the possibilities along the way. You’d never hear the end of it if Illinois found out you had passed it up. 

Little by little you went through each empty room on the main floor until you were certain you’d searched every nook and cranny. Enough time had passed that the shadows were growing high on the walls as the sun began to set outside. You checked your watch and realized you’d been on your own for about twenty-five minutes, which made your stomach clench uneasily. Why hadn’t Illinois joined you yet? Had something happened? 

You were just about to make your way back upfront when you heard him call out for you. Just hearing the relaxed deep timbre of his voice calmed your anxiety.

“In here,” you called back.

Within a few moments, your fellow adventurer popped into the room with a smile. 

“Once we’re done with this place, we should check out this cave a few miles north. That other fellow said there is supposed to be Aztec gold hidden there,” Illinois said, “But anyway, have you found anything here yet?”

With a little shake of your head, you replied, “Not yet, but it’s supposed to be downstairs right?”

He shrugged before turning to examine the walls with interest.

“That’s what we were told but you can’t be certain. I should give this floor another look over if you want to start on the next one.”

The thought of journeying deeper into the decrepit building alone made you uncomfortable but you couldn’t exactly tell him that. What if he thought you were a coward for it? No, you couldn’t chance to lessen his thoughts on you. You’d just have to suck it up and venture forth… down into the dark loneliness. 

A little sigh escaped your lips before you gave him an agreeing nod. 

“I’ll wait for you down there if I finish before you.” 

With a wave of dismissal, Illinois went back into another room to continue his investigation. 

Your feet felt like they were made of lead as you trudged to the only set of stairs you’d discovered in your once over. The stairwell was pitch black, completely closed off from any of the lingering sunlight, and immediately you flipped on your vest light and headlamp. Better safe than sorry. 

“Fuck. The things we do,” you mumbled under your breath.

The stairs were stone, all cracked and crumbling but appeared to be steady enough. Even so, you took your time moving from step to step. Too many times you and Illinois had discovered booby traps at the last second and barely escaped death. You didn’t dare chance your luck in a dark stairwell. 

You were about halfway down when you heard a rumble in the concrete and immediately froze. 

“Oh god, please no,” you sighed. 

Your hands shook as they grabbed the railing on the wall for stability and you started moving once more. One, two, three more steps down. You were about to take your fourth when an even louder noise sounded from under your feet as you felt shifting; Except this time it was followed by a heavy groaning of stone grinding and the trickling of rocks falling. 

Heaving a quick lungful of air, you turned around and held on tighter to the railing. This would have to be one mystery left uncovered. Your life wasn’t worth the risk. 

Unfortunately, you only made it one step before you felt the stone stairs shift again beneath your feet. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Your curses grew louder and more panicked as you quickened your pace, running back up the stairs as fast as you could. 

“Illinois!”

The scream came instinctively as you threw yourself up the last of the stairs but the rumbling and cracking covered up any response he might have given. It was deafening. At the last second, you felt it give way completely. Your feet paddled in the air for impossible traction and your arms reached for the open doorway with impossible hope. 

It was as if everything slowed down in the moments that it took your brain to catch up to the situation. You couldn’t believe this was how it ended; Alone, in a dark place, all because you wanted to prove yourself to a man you were too afraid to admit your feelings to. 

Just as you closed your eyes in defeat, you felt your wrist smack hard against the cement as the other was snagged harshly. The agonizing sensation of your wrist and shoulder dislocating tore a curse from your mouth and your eyes opened in shock. There, silhouetted by the dim sunset light like an angel, kneeled Illinois. The expression on his face mimicked the suffocating panic you felt.

“I’ve got you. Come on,” he grunted, hand snagging your other wrist.

You fought through the blinding pain and hysteria to help lift yourself up, your feet bracing the now spider-webbed wall under the doorway. Within moments he had you pulled up to safety. The second your knees touched the floor you dove as far away from the doorway as you could, rolling up into a fetal position with your sore wrists pinned against your chest. 

“Y/N. Hey, Y/N. It’s okay, kid, you’re okay,” Illinois reassured you softly. 

Even so, you couldn’t bring yourself to open your eyes yet; too afraid you’d find out this was some last-minute hallucination as you fell to your death. 

Eventually, Illinois stopped trying to rouse you and instead pulled your head into his lap as he went about bandaging you up. You weren’t sure how long you laid there but it wasn’t until he was completely done with tending to your wounds that you finally felt comfortable opening your eyes. To your surprise, he was staring back down at you with pursed lips. 

“What happened?” he asked softly.

“Stairs collapsed halfway down. Dunno why,” you whispered, a shudder clambering down your spine, “Tried to run back up but… well, I was obviously almost too late.”

That statement caused a sour expression to blossom on his face but he was quick to hide it behind a tight-lipped smile. 

“It’s good that you called for me. I wasn’t too far away when I heard the crashing but I wasn’t sure where it came from or why,” he replied. 

He worked his mouth as if attempting to say something but nothing came out other than a little sigh. 

With careful movements, you started to sit up but he was quick to stop you, big hands firmly gripping your shoulders as if you were going to run away.

“You need to rest,” he instructed thickly.

“I know.”

Thankfully he relinquished his hold on you when you began to move once more, hands instead going to rest on your waist as you turned to face him. You swallowed down the pain and the fear that clawed up your throat. You had to tell him now, while the adrenaline was still coursing through your veins and the threat of death was fresh in your mind, lest you never do it.

“Y/N?” Illinois asked gruffly in obvious curiosity.

You didn’t reply, couldn’t find the words. Instead, you took hold of his shoulders for balance and climbed to straddle his legs. Although he easily could have stopped you, he didn’t and that tidbit of information made your determination grow even stronger. 

Once you were settled comfortably in his lap, you took a steadying breath and caught his gaze. How many times had you imagined looking into those dark mahogany eyes as you kissed him? Too many to count. You’d be damned if you didn’t at least try, still tasting the regret heavy on your tongue.

“Illinois, I-”

Before you could spill those three damning words, one of his hands shot up and cupped the back of your head, jerking you into a harsh kiss. The hand remaining on your waist swiftly crossed your back and pinned you to him. 

It all happened so fast that you couldn’t react properly until you felt him breathe a low sigh against your lips. When reality finally hit, you wasted no time kissing him back. Your hands found their way over his shoulders and into his hair, knocking his hat off so you could run your fingers through his sought after locks. At the same time, you parted your lips and nibbled at his lower lip until he took the hint. 

His tongue easily overtook yours and plundered your mouth hungrily until you were both starved for air. 

Pulling back to breathe, you rested your forehead against his and panted out, “I love you. I’ve wanted to tell you for so long but I was afraid you didn’t like me that way at all and I’d make you hate me.”

“Oh no, gorgeous. I’ve cared for you for so long but I didn’t realize just how much until I almost lost you. Do you know how much that hurt me? Thinking I’d lost the best thing that had ever come into my life?” 

His confession stirred all kinds of butterflies to life. You had to take a few moments to gather your emotions together as everything culminated and hit like a brick wall but still, a few tears escaped. Breath hitching, you swallowed thickly and pressed a light kiss to his hair. 

“It’s okay, Y/N, I’ve got you,” Illinois murmured soothingly, “You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.” 

The exhaustion of the evening joined in the emotional turmoil and had you drooping in his arms, snuggling and pressing your face into the hollow of his neck. It’s a good thing the museum made for a good shelter against the elements because you weren’t sure you’d be able to move from his arms for the rest of the night, let alone walk somewhere else. 

“Get some rest, gorgeous. We’ll talk more when you wake.”


End file.
